Flash Fiction: A Lovely Phonecall

Last week I started something new: I signed up on Coursera.org! Coursera is a website which offers free online courses from the best universities all over the world, on a bunch of different subjects. I want to follow some writing courses this year to take my writing to the next level. I signed up for the course ‘Writing for Young Readers’ from the Commonwealth Education Trust, hosted by writer David Hill. I just finished the first module and it’s been so educational and tons of fun.

To finish the module, I needed to choose a viewpoint {first -, second -, third person or universal viewpoint} and write a story of 500 words or less about an event taken from my own life. I wrote a memory of a phonecall between me and my now husband, which is the beginning of how we got together, and I wanted to share it will all of you. Love it, hate it, let me know!

I was laying across my mother’s bed, because that was where the phone was. Laying on my stomach, I listened as Rick told me a joke. We’d already been talking for about an hour, even though we had seen each other just hours ago at school. I had this dopey smile on my face and was glad that he couldn’t see me. He spoke up again, sounding shy all of a sudden.

“Am I crazy if I ask -. What I mean is -. Ugh! I think we both know what’s going on between us, right?”

My heart was hammering in my throat. Was he really suggesting what I thought he was? He was my best friend, if I told him I liked him, but he didn’t feel the same it could ruin everything. “I- What do you mean?”

He let out a weary sigh. “Never mind. If you don’t know what I’m talking about I’ll-.”

“No wait!” I interrupted him, dragging the courage to speak up from somewhere deep inside me. “I think-. I know what you mean. I do know.”

“Yeah?” I could practically hear his grin.

“Yeah.” I grinned right back.

There was a silence after that, a bit awkward, but mostly filled with joy. We both started laughing at the same time. Words had never been a problem between us but suddenly everything felt charged, different, but better.

“The annual carnival is next month. We’re all going. Would you like to come with me?” I asked, nervous even in the revelation of a few minutes ago.

Love it! It feels so young and teenager-like 🙂 I can see you lying on that bed, maybe twirling your hair a bit, complete with the grin on your face. And something I never knew about you! Still something to learn after 25 years 😀